These states finished one-two-three in a survey of chief executive officers conducted by Chief Executive Magazine. The key for the top two was the lack of a state income tax. The two worst state, New York (50) and California (51) earned their dubious placement with the most convoluted regulatory structure among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Criteria for consideration included: proximity to resources, regulation, tax policies, education, quality of living and infrastructure. CEOs were asked to grade the states on the basis of taxation & regulation, workforce quality, and living environment.
"Overall, the message CEOs are sending is that over-taxed and over-regulated states are not conducive to the health of their businesses," said Ed Kopko, CEO and Publisher, Chief Executive Group. "This is the message they've been communicating since our poll started in 2005. However, in states like California and New York, where we are increasingly facing a shrinking population, the message seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as CEOs continue to be extremely frustrated with the business-unfriendly practices in these states."
TVBR observation:
Broadcasters, of course, cannot just pick up and move to another state. The FCC has that pesky main studio rule tethering local operations to their local community. However, there is nothing in the FCC dictating where your company headquarters have to be located.
|
State
|
CEO Rank
|
Growth Rank
|
|
Texas
|
1
|
15
|
|
Nevada
|
2
|
2
|
|
North Carolina
|
3
|
12
|
|
Virginia
|
4
|
10
|
|
Arizona
|
5
|
3
|
|
Tennesse
|
6
|
27
|
|
Georgia
|
7
|
25
|
|
Indiana
|
8
|
46
|
|
South Carolina
|
9
|
36
|
|
Florida
|
10
|
6
|
|
Delaware
|
11
|
13
|
|
Alabama
|
12
|
17
|
|
Colorado
|
13
|
16
|
|
New Hampshire
|
14
|
32
|
|
Utah
|
15
|
5
|
|
Idaho
|
16
|
1
|
|
Iowa
|
17
|
20
|
|
South Dakota
|
18
|
30
|
|
North Dakota
|
19
|
26
|
|
Missouri
|
20
|
44
|
|
Oklahoma
|
21
|
18
|
|
Minnesota
|
22
|
31
|
|
Montana
|
23
|
11
|
|
Kansas
|
24
|
29
|
|
Wyoming
|
25
|
40
|
|
Kentucky
|
26
|
37
|
|
Oregon
|
27
|
4
|
|
Nebraska
|
28
|
33
|
|
New Mexico
|
29
|
7
|
|
Washington
|
30
|
14
|
|
Alaska
|
31
|
39
|
|
Maryland
|
32
|
22
|
|
Rhode Island
|
33
|
43
|
|
Ohio
|
34
|
50
|
|
Maine
|
35
|
34
|
|
Vermont
|
36
|
28
|
|
Arkansas
|
37
|
23
|
|
Hawaii
|
38
|
8
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
39
|
48
|
|
District Of Columbia
|
40
|
19
|
|
West Virginia
|
41
|
47
|
|
Connecticut
|
42
|
24
|
|
Illinois
|
43
|
45
|
|
Wisconsin
|
44
|
42
|
|
Mississippi
|
45
|
49
|
|
Louisiana
|
46
|
38
|
|
New Jersey
|
47
|
41
|
|
Massachusetts
|
48
|
35
|
|
Michigan
|
49
|
51
|
|
New York
|
50
|
21
|
|
California
|
51
|
9
|
Source: Chief Executive Magazine
